Dear Yuichi:

This letter is in answer to your post cards of May 7 and 15 and to your most informative letter. One post card arrived the day before I left for Virginia. The other one and the letter was waiting for me when I returned home. However, I will first tell you about the trip to Virginia.

Taeko and Nori arrived there about an hour and a half before I got there on Tuesday afternoon. They are very nice and gracious ( polite ) ladies. I enjoyed being with them because we quickly became very relaxed ( friendly ) with each other. We had a good time when we were together. We laughed and joked ( told funny stories ) often. They were very well received ( welcomed and accepted ) by the people at the reunion. According to Joe Alexander, there were only two men there who resented or did not like any Japanese being at the meeting. This is understandable because I would expect some Japanese would not like my attending a Japanese military reunion. I am glad that there were only two men who did not like their being there. All of the other people enjoyed meeting Taeko and Nori. The two ladies made many friends. I was told many times how happy the people were to meet and visit with them. Everywhere they went the people wanted to stop and talk to them. The two ladies were very busy taking pictures and writing notes. I think Taeko and Nori had a good time and felt that the trip was worthwhile. I enjoyed the times when the three of us were away from the meeting and were able to visit without interruptions. There was only one night when we had time to go out from the hotel for a seafood dinner. I also enjoyed watching them when we went aboard the U.S.S. Bataan at the Norfolk Naval Base. They were like two young children, who were amazed at what they saw, as we toured the ship which was named for the battle at Bataan and for the soldiers who fought there. It was fortunate that the ship was in port when we were in Hampton. We went to the airport together because their plane left for Washington D.C. shortly before my plane left for Atlanta and Austin. Nori went to New York to visit her daughter in New Jersey and Taeko flew back to Japan. I hope that they did not have any problems on getting to their destinations. I am sure that they will tell you more about their visit to Hampton. Now I will try to reply to your post cards and letter. I may have to stop and then restart writing because there are some things which I must do today which will cause me to interrupt my writing to you. Hopefully, I will still be able to get this letter mailed to you by tomorrow.

I put a notice on the bulletin board at the meeting and asked for anyone who was at the Ashio camp and knew Commander Hurt to contact me. I located only one man who was there, but he did not remember Hurt or Enomoto being there. His memory was not good. He could not give me any information about the camp. This was a disappointment to me. I am glad that you were able to give me more information about the camp and about the interpreter Enomoto. I have been able to locate the camp on a map.

It is regretfully that the translation I received from my aunt and cousin about the TV show was incorrect. You and Nori have given me a better understanding of the show.

Please thank Tobita for answering my question about where Gen. Tojo slept when he was in Omori. I had guessed from several photographs which had showed him in Omori that he had stayed in the same room which Maher and I shared. The bedbugs and lice which he had complained about while he was in the room may have been the same ones which had bitten Maher and myself;although I doubt it. It is interesting to know that after Tojo's two visits to Omori and especially after I had the opportunite to meet him that he was to occupy the same room where I stayed. That is an unusual coincidence. Thank you and Tobita for confirming this fact. I will not write Tobita because of his not understanding English.

Your letter was very interesting and informative. It contained a lot of information which I am glad to know about.

I was very curious about the name George Enomoto when I first saw it printed. I had presumed that this could have been an alteration ( change ) of a Japanese name into an American sounding name. I am glad to have the correct name. The POWs often referred to an individual by how their Japanese name sounded in English. This is how we gave some Japanese a nickname ( a familiar form of a proper name ) when we could not pronounce their name in Japanese. Others were given nicknames because of their looks, their way of walking or because of their behavior towards us. Horseface reminded the men of a horse. The bouncy and jerky walk of the Marionette was like a puppet on a string. Gentleman Jim behaved like a gentleman. Some nicknames were complimentary ( with respect ) and others were not. Incidentally, you did not receive a nickname because your name was easy to remember and to pronounce. The POWs had nicknames for each other.

I must stop writing now because I must get ready for an appointment this morning. I will continue writing either this afternoon or tomorrow morning. My usual daily routine is to work at my desk or in the apartment in the mornings. The afternoon are spent in going out to the post office, laundry, grocery store, doctor's office or whatever is necessary. The evenings are reserved for resting, going out to eat or to visit with friends.

Wednesday morning.

I have looked at the photograph of the "Camp Commanders" and I have made the additional identities and notes which you have given to me. "Radar" is the device ( instrument ) which is used to locate objects in the sky and on the surface of the earth. It sends out radio waves. When the waves hit an object, like an airplane, the waves are reflecte back to the radar instrument and the airplane appears as a "blip" (dot) on an electronic screen. The operator of the radar can tell the direction and how far away the object is from the receiver. Ships and submarines use a simila device called "Sonar" to locate objects under water. It uses sound waves. Both electronic devices were developed during the earlier part of the war. Now they are used in all airplanes and ships.

Your detailed references about the Ashio Camp were of great help to me in understanding more about the camp. I have located in on a detailed map of Japan.

I did not remember about Commander Hurt being sent to Ashio. Hopefully, his son will be able to tell me more about the transfer.

Sgt.Shibui(sp.) has provided us with some very important information which has given me a better understanding of how the companies for the use of POW labor and how the money was distributed. This information plus some additional bits or pieces of information has helped me to come to the following conclusions.

I stopped writing when I got to the bottom of the previous page so that I could put an expanded account of the payment information onto a separate page. It was written quickly and will need to be rewritten later after I have a chance to review it and make any necessary changes. Please give me your comments about it.

Incidently, I forgot to mention that the ADBC meeting next year will be in San Antonio, Texas. I had not planned to go to any more of their meetings, but I may go to that one for just several days because it is near Austin.

I will enclose some photos from virginia after I get them from the photo studio tomorrow.

Thank you for the detailed and valuable information.


Sincerely
Bob
Robert R. Martindale


P.S. Joe Alexander said he would be in Japan in August. Please do not show or tell him about the enclosed draft of my tabulation of the payments because it needs to be rewritten and perhaps corrected before it is shown to anyone. They could mis-read what I was trying to say or do.